November & December 2017 College News

Todd Oxford was a recent guest soloist at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Austin, and gave a clinic for Victoria West High School, Victoria, Texas. Texas State Music faculty activities at the recent joint ATMI/CMS national conference in San Antonio: Nico Schüler presented “Wordless Functional Analysis Revisited”. Cynthia Gonzales gave a demo/workshop, “A Comprehensive Aural-Skills Curriculum via SmartMusic®.” Caroline Steiger performed Kevin Ernste’s “Nisi” for horn and live electronics.
 John Lopez gave a demonstration, “Establishing Effective Mariachi Rehearsal Techniques”. Texas State’s Mariachi Nueva Generacion, performed. Amanda Soto was presider/moderator for several sessions throughout the conference and presented as part of the panel, “Inside/Outside Music Education: Political Narratives Within and Through the Margins” with colleagues from Boston University and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The nominating committee for the International Clarinet Association has nominated Dr. Vanguel Tangarov for the presidency (president-elect) of the Association. If elected in spring 2018, he will serve two years on the board. Carolyn Watson’s article regarding women conducting was published earlier in Limelight Magazine , Australia’s national classical music publication. STUDENT ACCOLADES SONUS Quartet’s student saxophonists Elijah Breda , Jacob Hernandez , Joseph Treviño , and Peyton Grover , were featured student performers at the National Association for Music Education - 2017 National In-Service Conference in Dallas. They were also featured performers at the recent TEDx event. [ 3] The National Teachers of Singing Texhoma region competition selected two Texas State singers as finalists: Ivy Cantu and Ben Ruiz . Semi Finalists included James Adamson , Hunter Sabi n, Alexis Alvarado , Audrey Harris , Courtney Katzmeyer , Anna Balan , Mackenzie Bitz , Martha Rose Hayes , Annisha Mackenzie , Michelle Sanchez , Cassidy Wallace , William Phi . Caitlyn Durkee , Bailey Galindo , Lucas Phillips , Sara Trogden , and Anai Winn also competed. Jazz trumpet student Natty Mckay played a successful audition to join the Lackland Air Force Band in San College of Fine Arts and Communication | 17 Antonio, replacing an airman who won a position with the renowned Airmen of Note in DC. Student performers in the Concerto/Aria finals were: Hyunjin Wang , Holim Choi , Cameron Dennis , Madeline Anderson , Ramiro Cortez , Noah Ornelas , Raquel Escamilla Gomez , Ziqing Guan , Elaina Walzel , Audrey Harris , Amy Gravell , Mackenzie Bitz , Peter Scott , Jaimie Lowe , and Matthew Acosta . The winners, Hyunjin Wang , piano, Elaina Walzel , bassoon, and Jaimie Lowe , mezzo-soprano, will be invited to perform with a Texas State wind-band or orchestral ensemble. Instrumental music studies major Emily Gazeley recently was awarded the Texas Music Educators Association Collegiate Music Educator Award for an outstanding future teacher. Saxophone student John Henrick is featured in the November 2017 issue of the Lockhart Area Music Association Newsletter. Master’s piano student, Hyunjin Wang , who studies with Jason Kwak , won first place in the very competitive Great Composers International Competition: Best Liszt Performance in the highest category, VII. ALUMNI ACCOLADES Ron Matthews (BME ’76, MEd ’79) is the Executive Director of the Texas Private School Music Educators Association. José Antonio Guerrero Ortiz earned his masters (in classical guitar) in 2013. After further studies in Turkey, he is now the CEO and Founder of a new international classical guitar magazine Memoirs Classical Guitar Magazine. Major Leo Pena serves as Executive Officer of The United States Army Band and Conductor of The United States Army Chorus. Rebecca V. Rhoades (MME 2007) works for a non- profit called “Dreams Fulfilled Through Music.” They teach music to children and adults with Special Needs. They are currently doing presentations titled “How Music Sparks the Brain”.